The present invention relates to Ethernet switches and switching, and more particularly, this invention relates to high speed scaled out distributed systems using Ethernet switches.
In cell-based distributed fabric protocol (cDFP) and/or Ethernet-based distributed fabric protocol (eDFP) scaled out systems which are capable of high-speed Ethernet (greater than 40 GbE speeds), situations arise where multiple real-time events may occur on one or more individual system members for which it would be useful or necessary to notify a system master of the occurrences of these events in real time. Such events may also require real-time response from a local processor of the individual member as well as the system master processor. Events associated with real-time reporting may include, but are not limited to, the following events: 1) a local network port link state change; 2) a local network port transceiver insertion or removal, 3) a local system temperature or environment parameter change, 4) a local system fan tray failure, insertion, or removal, 5) a local system power supply unit failure, insertion, or removal, 6) a local system major part failure indication, 7) a local system indication of congestion of one or more mechanisms, and 8) a local system topological change indication. Of course, anything else that prompts or requires real-time response from a scaled out system master processor may also be included in this list.
In conventional distributed systems or clusters, there is no way to provide real-time interrupts over Ethernet between individual members and the system master. Accordingly, the events that require real-time reporting to the system master must be passed through some other communication protocol, which adds complexity to the infrastructure of the system and to the logic used in maintaining the system.